
Omnicom as a whole reported global revenue of $3.7 billion in Q1, up 3.4% organically from the same period in 2024. Organic revenue in APAC jumped 6% to $416.7 million; the US organic revenue rose 4.6% to $2 billion in Q1; while other North America regions dropped 3.6% to $104.5 million; and the UK was down 0.7% to $395.9 million. European markets were up by 1.7% to $599.1 million; Latin America improved by 14.8% to $96.4 million; and Middle East and Africa decreased by 9.3% to $70.8 million.
In Q1, Omnicom saw organic revenue decline across more than half of its business sectors. Omnicom Public Relations Group reported Q1 revenue of $362.7 million, a 4.5% decrease on an organic basis from the year prior.
The most recent quarterly period results compare to Q1 2024, when OPRG reported an organic revenue drop of 1.1% to $390.3 million. Alongside PR, healthcare dipped by 3.2% to $305.7 million, experiential decreased 1.5% to $154.2 million, and branding and retail commerce dropped 10% to $159.5 million.
Meanwhile, media and advertising posted a revenue increase of 7.2% to $2 billion, precision marketing was up 5.8% to $450.3 million, and execution and support rose 1.9% to $209.8 million.
The holding company cited a realignment of the classification of its services within media and advertising, branding and retail commerce, precision marketing and PR disciplines in the first quarter of the year. As a result, it reclassified the prior year periods to be consistent, Omnicom said in a statement.
Omnicom’s PR unit includes agencies such as FleishmanHillard, Ketchum, MMC and Porter Novelli. The holding company is in the process of acquiring rival holding company Interpublic Group, which is the parent of PR agencies such as The Weber Shandwick Collective, Golin and R&CPMK.
Shareholders of both companies “overwhelmingly approved” the acquisition in simultaneous votes in March. The deal is expected to close in the second half of this year. IPG is set to report its Q1 2025 earnings on April 24.
Omnicom CEO and chairman John Wren said in a statement on the company’s earnings that the acquisition will give the combined company “substantial opportunities for revenue growth and distinctive cost synergy to drive increased profitability, EPD growth and free cash flow.”
OPRG CEO Chris Foster could not be immediately reached for further comment on the PR agencies’ performances. Representatives for Porter Novelli, MMC, and FleishmanHillard did not respond to requests for comment on the agency's individual performances. Ketchum declined to comment.
For all of last year, OPRG reported revenue of $1.68 billion, an increase of 3.7% from 2023. PR accounted for more than 10% of the holding company’s revenue in both Q4 and for the full year. Omnicom cut close to 3,000 roles from its global workforce in 2024.